Cult Scooter Showroom

Originally producing locomotives and train carriages and subsequently aircrafts, the Italian company Piaggio found their post-war country economically crippled in 1942, with transport for the masses severely hindered by poor roads. Their solution? Produce a durable but affordable scooter that not only revolutionised the motorbike industry, but also went on to become an iconic brand that inspired the world – perhaps the height of its pop culture influence came in 1952, when Gregory Peck traversed the cobbled streets of Rome with a side-saddled Audrey Hepburn in the smash hit film Roman Holiday. Today, and many models later, the brand is a global phenomenon and cult favourite, and now lucky Bangkokians have their very own flagship showroom.

Designed by Supermachine Studio, the nearly 700 sq m Vespa Galleria on Sukhumvit’s Soi 26 is a one-stop shop and viewing space of all things Vespa, incorporating not only a spacious scooter showroom but also an exhibition space and merchandise store. For the vintage enthusiast there are scores of posters and items of memorabilia as well as an entire wall mounted with hundreds of miniature scooter models, while for the fashionista there are racks of T shirts, helmets, bags and panniers in a multiplicity of colours and designs. Even if you don’t buy, it’s the perfect spot to dream – Vesp-aah!